1 batch of frosting (I used this recipe for vanilla buttercream, but this is a close favorite too.)

1 batch of cupcakes, baked and cooled completely

4 separate piping bags

1 piping tip (I used a Wilton #1M tip for these cupcakes).

1. Make your frosting. Actually... make your cupcakes. Allow them to cool completely, then make a batch of frosting and separate it evenly into different bowls, adding whatever color or flavor you fancy.

2. Fill a separate piping bag with each individual color, one color per bag. Don't fill them up too much... they all need to be able to fit into one piping bag in a minute. You can always come back later and add more frosting to each bag as you need it.

Twist the tops of each bag closed to prevent frosting from exploding out.

Trust me on this.

3. Place all three bags into a fourth piping bag fitted with a decorating tip. You may have to hold the ends closed and squish the frosting down the bag to make them long and thin like a hotdog so they can all fit.

Make sure all three colors are placed evenly in the bag, otherwise one color may come out more than the other, and twist the bag closed.

4. Do a couple of test swirls until the frosting comes out evenly and smooth.

See how the frosting is mostly blue with a teensy bit of red?

It should look more like this, with the colors mostly even. Yay! Let's do this.